In The Owlery
by autumn midnights
Summary: After being Sorted into Slytherin, Lily is unsure what her family will think. Rose reassures her that everything will be okay. Rated K plus for one mild swear.


_Disclaimer: Believe me, you'd know if I had written Harry Potter. But I didn't, sadly._

_Author's Note: Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition (prompt: next-gen) and the Connect The Weasleys Challenge (Lily&Rose, prompt 'swift'). Also written for the Headcanon Boot Camp Challenge (prompt 15: 'Why does it matter? You are what you are!') This is an idea that has been in my mind for a while, but I've never gotten around to actually writing it. _

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Lily stood at the window of the Owlery, watching as the school owl swiftly flew off into the distance with her letter. It had taken her all day to work up the courage to send the letter to her parents, explaining that she had been placed in Slytherin. Even though her parents had told her that it didn't matter where she ended up, she couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

There were no other Slytherins in the family, and it didn't help that every year, a couple of her relatives joked, "We lucked out again - still no snakes!" Aunt Hermione and Aunt Fleur would always reprimand whoever said it - James, Freddie, and Uncle Ron were usually the culprits - but Lily couldn't help but replay those moments in her mind as she stood there. The owl was now a speck in the blue sky, and she finally turned away, nearly bumping into Rose.

"Hey, Lily," Rose said, examining a small, barely-there stain on her Ravenclaw tie. "How was your first day?"

"All right," Lily said. As first days went, she supposed it hadn't been too bad. She had gained five points for Slytherin by correctly answering a question right in Defense, and she hadn't done anything stupid or embarrassing in any of her other classes. The girls in her dormitory weren't unfriendly, either, and the boys were no more than typical eleven-year-old boys; she felt like with a little time, she'd fit in just fine with the others in her house. It wasn't them she was nervous about, after all.

She hadn't spoken to any of her family members since she became a Slytherin. There was no chance at the feast - especially after James had stood up on the bench and demand that Lily be re-Sorted, because the Sorting Hat was senile, according to him - and then she had retired to the common room and dormitory; the next day was full of classes. Rose was the first Weasley-Potter she had spoken to since the boat ride across the lake with Hugo.

Rose peered at her intently. "You look like something's wrong," she said.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Thanks."

Rose's cheeks turned pink. "No - I'm sorry. I meant just...is everything okay?"

"Do you think that people are going to agree with James?" Lily asked instead, her fingers brushing over the Slytherin tie. "That the Sorting Hat was wrong to put me in Slytherin?"

Rose shrugged. "You know how people are. I'm sure there's a few who will make a fuss over there being a Slytherin Potter. But honestly...if they look at who you are, they'll see Slytherin is the best place for you, and that isn't an insult. Not all Slytherins are bad, and our family will just have to accept it." She tucked a strand of flyaway ginger hair behind her ear. "Why does it matter? You are what you are, after all. Same person you were before being Sorted."

She had a point, and Lily knew it. The only difference between the person she was now and the person she was a day previously was that now, she had a label slapped on her - a label that she had practically anticipated, practically hoped for. She had figured out when she was nine and a half that she would probably end up being a Slytherin - she wouldn't fit in anywhere else. She knew she was sly, cunning, ambitious, and proud; she didn't mind. She had been prepared to ask the Sorting Hat to put her in Slytherin, even, because she wanted to be different.

Lily supposed she simply hadn't planned for after the Sorting. She hadn't truly imagined what her family would think, and she certainly hadn't anticipated James's reaction. It had taken her off guard and given her doubts, but she forced herself to try to shake them free. She liked the people in her house, she liked the house itself...what was there to complain about? "I guess you're right," she said, nodding. "Thanks, Rose."

Rose slung her arm over Lily's shoulders. There weren't a whole lot of people Rose could do that to; she was one of the shorter Weasley-Potters, and even Lily - who, in no way, could be considered tall - was gaining on her. "I'm always right," Rose joked. "Listen, don't worry about what anybody else says. If you like it in Slytherin, well, that's done. Doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. Especially James. He's an idiot."

"I can't argue with that."

"Everyone'll be cool with it. Believe me, if anybody says anything insensitive, I think Mum will curse them. She's sick of Dad and the others going off on Slytherin anyway. She won't stand for it."

A mischievous grin passed over Lily's face. "Neither will I," she said. "After all, Uncle George did say that all of us Weasley-Potters are entitled to discounts on his products. If people get really stupid over it...well, they might be waking up surrounded by a Portable Swamp."

Rose tried to look disapproving; Lily could see the disapproval deteriorate into a grin as Rose stopped trying. "Lily!" she said, possibly intending it as a reprimand, but her chuckles refuted that.

"What?" Lily said innocently. "I said 'might'."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you're definitely a Slytherin." She tugged at Lily's arm. "Come on, let's get out of here. It smells like owl droppings."

"It smells almost as bad as James's bedroom," Lily said, smirking.

"Nothing smells that bad," Rose said as they stepped into the main corridor. A few older students passed them, joking and laughing, not even giving the two girls a second look. "So, you want to come with me to tell James that he's an idiot, and that he'll catch hell if he's a jerk about your sorting?"

Lily grinned, intertwining her arm with Rose's. It felt good to know that she could have both her chosen House and her family. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."


End file.
